Switch box



@@mgg y V` Aug. 25', '1925;Y 1,551,058.

J.T.SCHLE9NGER SWITCH BOX Original Filed May 17'. 1921 inve/nio@ Patented Aug. 25, 1925.

UNITED STATES Partnr ortica.

JOSEPH T. SCI-ILESINGER, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., ASSIGNOR, BY MESNE ASSIGNMENTS, TO

UTILITY SAFETY AFPLIANGE CORPORATION.

SWITCH BOX.

Application filed May 17, 1921, Serial No. 470,457. Renewed January 22, 1925.

T0 all 'whom t may concern:

Be it known that I, JOSEPH T SoHLnsIN- cnn, a citizen of Hungary, and resident of the city of New York, in the county of New York and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Switch Boxes, of which the following is a specification.

The present invention relates to improvements in boxes, and more particularly to that type which is designed to contain and prevent access to electrical instruments, except in case of emergency.

Boxes of the type mentioned usually include a closure member of glass or other fragile material, vwhich must be broken in order to gain access to the interior of the box. In order to break the glass, a suitable tool, such as for instance a hammer, must be made use of. As tools are not always handy in case of emergency, delays occur in operating the electric instrument.

The main object of the present invention is to overcome the difiiculty above referred to by so constructing the box that the mechanism for breaking the glass cover thereof is contained within the box and may be conveniently operated by a handle on the exterior of the box.

With these and other objects in view, which will more fully appear as the nature of the invention is better understood, the same consists in the combination, arrangement and construction of parts hereinafter described, pointed out in the appended claims and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, it being understood that many changes may be made in the size and proportion of the several parts and details of construction within the scope of the appended claims, without departing from the spirit or sacrificing any of the advantages of the invention.

One of the many possible embodiments of the invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a front elevation of a box constructed in accordance with the present invention; Fig. 2 is a section taken on line 2--2 of Fig. 1; and Fig. 3 is a side elevation, on a larger scale, of the cover breaking mechanism.

In the drawings, the numeral 10 indicates a box of any suitable material and configuration. This box includes a closure member 11. fixed in position in any suitable manner, for instance by interengaging hooks 12 and 13 on the said closure member and the box body, respectively. The closure member is provided with an opening 14, through which access may be had to the interior of the box, said opening being closed by a pane 15 of glass or other fragile material.

W'ithin the box is disposed an electric instrument, in the case illustrated in the drawings a switch 16 of the push button type, said switch being inserted into an electric circuit. In order to gain access to this switch, the glass pane 15 must be broken.

`The mechanism for breaking the glass includes a lever 17, that is pivoted at 18 to a lug 19 on the closure member 11, the pivot 18 being a substantial distance above the pane 15. The lever includes two parallel arms 20, the free ends of which are in operative relation to the pane 15. These arms are connected, intermediate their ends, by a transverse element 21, including an inclined face 22, with which co-operates a cam 23. This cam is fixed Ito a spindle 24, that is rotatably mounted in a bearing 25 on the closure member 11 and projects through the said closure member. For actuating the spindle, there is fixed thereto, outside of the box, a knob 26. A spring 27, bearing against the closure member and the transverse element 21, has a tendency to keep the inclined face 22 of the latter in contact with the cam 23.

The operation of this device is as follows: When the elements are in the positions shown in the drawings, access cannot be had to the switch unless the glass pane 15 is broken. In order to break this pane, the knob 26 is turned in either direction, whereby the cam 23, acting on the inclined face 22 ofthe transverse element 21, causes the lever 17 to swing around its pivot 18 in the direction of the arrow shown in Fig. 2 of the drawings. When the arms 20 of the said levervcome into contact with the glass and the rotary movement of the spindle 24 is continued, the glass is broken and access can be had to the interior of the box. The extreme positions of the levei` 17 are shown in Fig. 3 of the drawings in full and dotted lines, the full lines indicating the normal position and the dotted lines that position which the lever occupies after the glass has been broken.

The mechanism for breaking the glass pane is wholly carried by the closure member 1l, so as to be removable with the latter when it is intended, for instance, to replace a broken glass pane. The purpose of `this arrangement is to permit of an easy setting of the operating elements.

It is obvious that, while herein the box has been described as containing a switch of a particular type, it may contain other electrical instruments, such as for instance signaling devices, etc., without departing from the invention.

Wlhat I claim is l. A. box including a closure member having an opening, a fragile pane closing said opening, means disposed within said box for breaking said glass, and means located outside of said box for actuating said breaking means.

2. In a box according to claim l, said breaking means and actuating means being carried by said closure member.

3. A box including a closure member having an opening, a fragile pane closing said opening, a lever disposed within said box and pivoted to said closure member, the free end of said lever being in alignment with said pane, a spindle rotatably mounted upon said closure member, a cam upon one end of said spindle for forcing the free end of said lever againstsaid pane, and a handle upon the other end of said spindle, said handle being disposed outside of said box.

Signed at New York, in the county of New York and State of New York, this 19th day of February, A.. D. 1921.

JOSEPH T. SCHLESINGER. 

